Software · head to head
Open edX vs Babbel
The short version
- Only Open edX has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Open edX open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.; Babbel the App Store listing for Babbel (seller of record: Babbel GmbH) states that subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, with payment charged to the buyer's Apple account; plans are sold in 1, 3, 6 and 12 month terms, and the listing itself discloses no price figure, so the actual monthly-equivalent cost is not visible without proceeding into a purchase flow.
- They diverge on capability: Open edX covers Course authoring, Babbel covers Bite-sized lessons.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Open edX and Babbel actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Web, IOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Open edX
- Course authoring
- Interactive videos
- Assessments
- Discussions
- Certificates
- Analytics
- xBlocks
- LTI tools
Only in Babbel
- Bite-sized lessons
- Speech recognition
- Review sessions
- Podcasts
- Games
- Live classes
- Progress tracking
- Offline mode
Both cover
- Mobile apps
- Web support
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Open edX
- MOOC creationnot Babbel
- Corporate trainingnot Babbel
- Blended learningnot Babbel
- Degree programsnot Babbel
Babbel
- Language learningnot Open edX
- Travel preparationnot Open edX
- Career developmentnot Open edX
- Hobbynot Open edX
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Open edX
- Open edX has no licensing fee as open source software, but the vendor's own site states that hosting and infrastructure costs are the operator's responsibility, so there is no bundled managed-hosting price to compare against SaaS competitors.
Babbel
- The App Store listing for Babbel (seller of record: Babbel GmbH) states that subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, with payment charged to the buyer's Apple account; plans are sold in 1, 3, 6 and 12 month terms, and the listing itself discloses no price figure, so the actual monthly-equivalent cost is not visible without proceeding into a purchase flow.
Pricing, plan by plan
Open edX
Free- Self-HostedFree
- Full platform
- Community support
- All features
- Managed Hosting$undefined/month
- Hosted solution
- Support
- Maintenance
Babbel
On request- 3 Months$8.95/month
- 1 language
- All lessons
- Speech recognition
- 6 Months$7.45/month
- 1 language
- Review sessions
- Podcasts
- 12 Months$6.95/month
- 1 language
- Games
- All features
- Lifetime$249/month
- All 14 languages
- Lifetime access
Which should you pick?
Choose Open edX if
- You need course authoring.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want interactive videos.
Choose Babbel if
- You need bite-sized lessons.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want speech recognition.
Questions people ask
- Is Open edX or Babbel better?
- Neither clearly leads. Open edX starts at Free and Babbel at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Open edX or Babbel?
- Open edX has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Open edX and On request for Babbel.
- Does Open edX or Babbel run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, IOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Open edX for free?
- Yes. Open edX has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Babbel starts at On request.
- What is Open edX best used for?
- Open edX is most often used for mooc creation, corporate training, blended learning, degree programs. Of those, mooc creation and corporate training are not what Babbel is typically brought in for.
- What can Open edX do that Babbel cannot?
- Open edX covers Course authoring, Interactive videos, Assessments, Discussions. Babbel covers Bite-sized lessons, Speech recognition, Review sessions, Podcasts. Both handle Mobile apps, Web support, IOS support, Android support.